With the search for the missing Indian Air Force (IAF) transport plane over the Bay of Bengal continuing without much headway, the Indian space agency has decided to postpone the testing of its air breathing engine to a future date, said a senior official.

“There are no signs of any IAF plane debris on the sea. The search is on,” a senior official of Indian Coast Guard said.

“The testing of the scramjet engine has been postponed without any timeline. We do not want to pressurise since the search for the IAF’s AN-32 plane is on over the Bay of Bengal,” a senior official of ISRO said on the condition of anonymity.

Officials of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had earlier said the scramjet engine would be tested this week.

During the testing, the air space would be required to be kept clear so that no plane comes in the path of the speeding up rocket and traffic in the sea is also stopped.

Aircraft and ships of the IAF, Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard are searching over the Bay of Bengal for any signs of the missing AN-2 plane, which went missing on July 22 with 29 people on board.

Officials said before the launch of any rocket, IAF, civil aviation and naval authorities would be informed about the rocket flight timings so that the air and sea are clear.

Traffic on the sea is stopped so that ships/boats do not come in the path of the falling burnt out stages/rocket engine or even the rocket when they fall into the sea.

According to ISRO, the scramjet engine will be tested on a RH-560 sounding rocket.

The scramjet engine, used only during the atmospheric phase of the rocket’s flight, will help in bringing down the launch cost by reducing the amount of oxidiser to be carried along with the fuel.

According to the Coast Guard official, there are no traces of oil on the sea surface that could be connected to the missing plane.

Quelle: hindustantimes

-

Update: 25.08.2016

-

Air-breather propulsion test on Aug. 28: ISRO

The propulsion along with re-usable vehicles key to low cost access to space

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to conduct air-breathing propulsion experiment using its RH-560 rocket fitted with a supersonic combustion ramjet (Scramjet) engine on August 28 from Sriharikota.

According to ISRO Chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar, while the test would take place on August 28, the GSLV-F05 rocket with an indigenous cryogenic engine would lift-off on September 8. A Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) will lift off on September 26. While these three missions would take place from Sriharikota, an Ariane-V launch vehicle from Arianespace will put India’s communication satellite, GSAT-18, into orbit from Kourou in French Guiana on October 4.

ISRO is looking forward to conducting the air-breathing propulsion test. The test was to have been done on July 28 but the search by the Indian Air Force and the Navy for the IAF’s transport aircraft An-32, which disappeared over the Bay of Bengal has delayed it by a month. The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, has developed the engines to be used in the RH-560 rocket.

Quelle: THE HINDU

---

India To Conduct Air-Breathing Propulsion Experiment

India To Conduct Air-Breathing Propulsion Experiment

-

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is readying to conduct air-breathing propulsion experiment next week using its RH-560 rocket fitted with a supersonic combustion ramjet (Scramjet) engine.

The air-breathing propulsion test would take place on August 28, The Hindu reported Thursday.Later, the GSLV-F05 rocket with an indigenous cryogenic engine would lift-off on September 8, ISRO Chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar said. Further, a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) will lift off on September 26, he added.

While these three missions would take place from Sriharikota, an Ariane-V launch vehicle from Arianespace will put India’s communication satellite, GSAT-18, into orbit from Kourou in French Guiana on October 4.

ISRO is looking ahead to conducting the air-breathing propulsion test. The test was to have been done on July 28 but the search by the Indian Air Force and the Navy for the IAF’s transport aircraft An-32, which disappeared over the Bay of Bengal has delayed it by a month.

The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, has developed the engines to be used in the RH-560 rocket.

Quelle: DEFENSE WORLD

-

Update: 28.08.2016

-

ISRO successfully test fires scramjet engine

Chennai, Aug 28 (IANS) India on Sunday successfully tested its own scramjet or air-breathing engine with the launch of a rocket, said a senior official of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

"The mission was successful. Two scramjet engines were tested during the flight," the official told IANS.

He said that as scheduled at 6 a.m., the two stage/engine RH-560 sounding rocket took off from the rocket port located at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

He said the two air-breathing engines were like hugging the rocket on its sides and normally when the rocket reaches a height of 11 km the scramjet engines would start breathing air.

The scramjet engine, used only during the atmospheric phase of the rocket's flight, will help in bringing down the launch cost by reducing the amount of oxidiser to be carried, along with the fuel.

Later, the ISRO in a statement said: "With this flight, critical technologies such as ignition of air-breathing engines at supersonic speed, holding the flame at supersonic speed, air intake mechanism and fuel injection systems have been successfully demonstrated."

The scramjet engine designed by ISRO uses hydrogen as fuel and the oxygen from the atmospheric air as the oxidiser.

The test flight was the maiden short duration experimental test of ISRO's scramjet engine with a hypersonic flight at Mach 6.

ISRO's Advanced Technology Vehicle (ATV), which is an advanced sounding rocket, was the solid rocket booster used for testing the air-breathing engine.

The rocket weighed 3,277 kg during lift-off.

According to ISRO, some of the technological challenges handled by ISRO during the development of scramjet engine include the design and development of hypersonic engine air intake, the supersonic combustor, development of materials withstanding very high temperatures, computational tools to simulate hypersonic flow, ensuring performance and operability of the engine across a wide range of flight speeds, proper thermal management and ground testing of the engines.

"India is the fourth country to demonstrate the flight testing of scramjet engine. The successful technology demonstration of air-breathing scramjet engines in flight by ISRO is a modest yet important milestone in its endeavour to design and develop advanced air-breathing engines, including engines for ISRO's future space transportation system," the space agency added.

Quelle: IANS

---

President hails ISRO for testing scramjet engine

IANS

New Delhi, Aug 28 (IANS) President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for successfully testing the scramjet engine.

In a message to ISRO Chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar, the President said: “I extend my hearty congratulations to you and your entire team for the successful conduct of Futuristic Rocket Test - Advanced Technology Vehicle (ATV).”

The scramjet engine, used only during the atmospheric phase of the rocket's flight, will help in bringing down the launch cost by reducing the amount of oxidiser to be carried, along with the fuel.

“The launch marks an important landmark in our space programme and demonstrates, yet again, India's capabilities in space launch technology. With this test, India has joined the select club of nations which have the technology of air-breathing engines,” Mukherjee said.

“The nation is proud of this achievement,” he added.

The ISRO said: "With this flight, critical technologies such as ignition of air-breathing engines at supersonic speed, holding the flame at supersonic speed, air intake mechanism and fuel injection systems have been successfully demonstrated."

The scramjet engine designed by ISRO uses hydrogen as fuel and the oxygen from the atmospheric air as the oxidiser.

The first experimental mission of ISRO’s Scramjet Engine towards the realisation of an Air Breathing Propulsion System was successfully conducted today (August 28, 2016) from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota.

After a smooth countdown of 12 hours, the solid rocket booster carrying the Scramjet Engines, lifted off at 0600 hrs (6:00 am) IST. The important flight events, namely, burn out of booster rocket stage, ignition of second stage solid rocket, functioning of Scramjet engines for 5 seconds followed by burn out of the second stage took place exactly as planned.

After a flight of about 300 seconds, the vehicle touched down in the Bay of Bengal, approximately 320 km from Sriharikota. The vehicle was successfully tracked during its flight from the ground stations at Sriharikota.

With this flight, critical technologies such as ignition of air breathing engines at supersonic speed, holding the flame at supersonic speed, air intake mechanism and fuel injection systems have been successfully demonstrated.

The Scramjet engine designed by ISRO uses Hydrogen as fuel and the Oxygen from the atmospheric air as the oxidiser. Today’s test was the maiden short duration experimental test of ISRO’s Scramjet engine with a hypersonic flight at Mach 6. ISRO’s Advanced Technology Vehicle (ATV), which is an advanced sounding rocket, was the solid rocket booster used for today’s test of Scramjet engines at supersonic conditions. ATV carrying Scramjet engines weighed 3277 kg at lift-off.

ATV is a two stage spin stabilised launcher with identical solid motors (based on Rohini RH560 sounding rocket) as the first as well as the second stage (booster and sustainer). The twin Scramjet engines were mounted on the back of the second stage. Once the second stage reached the desired conditions for engine “Start-up”, necessary actions were initiated to ignite the Scramjet engines and they functioned for about 5 seconds. Today’s ATV flight operations were based on a pre-programmed sequence.

Some of the technological challenges handled by ISRO during the development of Scramjet engine include the design and development of Hypersonic engine air intake, the supersonic combustor, development of materials withstanding very high temperatures, computational tools to simulate hypersonic flow, ensuring performance and operability of the engine across a wide range of flight speeds, proper thermal management and ground testing of the engines.

India is the fourth country to demonstrate the flight testing of Scramjet Engine. The successful technology demonstration of air-breathing Scramjet engines in flight by ISRO today is a modest yet important milestone in its endeavour to design and develop advanced air breathing engines including engines for ISRO’s future space transportation system.

ATV 02 Liftoff Photos

Quelle: ISRO

.

Update: 29.08.2016

.

Isro’s Scramjet a big success, to cut cost of rocket launch

Super Sonic Combustion RAM Jet or Scramjet during its test by ISRO from Sriharikota. (Photo: PTI)

In its first step towards realising its own air-breathing propulsion system, Isro on Sunday successfully tested Scramjet, an engine that takes atmospheric oxygen to burn engine fuel. The two-stage RH-560 sounding rocket with twin Scramjet engines successfully took off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 6 am. After a flight of around 300 seconds, the vehicle touched down in the Bay of Bengal, approximately 320 km from Sriharikota. Isro chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar said: “The test was very successful and more tests need to be carried out before it is made operational.”

India has become the fourth country/entity after the United States, Russia and the European Space Agency to have successfully tested the Scramjet engine. “The Scramjet experiment was conducted for 5 seconds between 55 and 60 seconds of the flight at 20 km height. The results are showing the test was gone as exactly as we predicted,” said K. Sivan, director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre.

The Scramjet engine designed by Isro uses hydrogen as fuel and oxygen from the atmospheric air as the oxidiser. “At the beginning, the engine was opened to inject the fuel. The Scramjet engine was ignited automatically. The injection of fuel lasted for seven seconds and all the duration the flame sustained at the supersonic speed,” he explained.

“The results showed we achieved the required thrust level. With this experiment, Isro and India can achieve very crucial and critical, complex technology which is useful for space transportation system,” he said.

The Scramjet is expected to bring down rocket launch costs by reducing the amount of oxidiser need to be carried with the fuel. For example, the GSLV rocket’s weight is 400 tonnes, half of which is the oxidiser, that will burn within a height of 50 km. “If we take oxygen from the atmosphere, the rocket’s weight will be reduced, efficiency will be increased as it can carry heavier payloads,” Mr Sivan said.

Mr Sivan warned, however, that the development of the Scramjet engine will not happen in the near future, and will take more than a decade. Speaking to reporters in Chennai after the successful flight test, he said: “It is a first baby step towards achieving future rocket technology. This technology is very important for the future as it will give major advancements in the space transportation system.”

He said the Scramjet engine’s success was an important milestone in space technology for India. Terming the new technology a “holy grail” for space-faring nations, he said: “This is an emerging technology and very few countries alone have demonstrated it.” Mr Sivan added: “We have tested it at Mach 6 speed. We have to test this engine at various speeds, from Mach 2 to 12. We also need to develop new materials for the engine as it has to withstand the oscillation of rockets.”

The total cost of the project will be around Rs 35 crores, while Sunday’s experiment cost Rs 3 crores.

What next?The Scramjet engine to undergo various tests for next few years before it becomes operational

How will it reduce the weight of the rocket?In a 400-tonne GSLV vehicle, 85% is rocket propellants. 70% of the propellants are oxidizers which will be used to burn the fuel. Most of these oxidizers will be consumed within the 50 km height. The Scramjet engine will use the atmospheric oxygen as an oxidizer in the combustion process and the weight of the rocket at the liftoff stage can be reduced up to 50 per cent. This will reduce the cost of the launches as well.